Daughter of Daedalus
by thegirlofthoughts
Summary: Betrayed. So many people had let her down, had turned their backs on her, had stabbed her in the back. Alone. She had thought that she would be accepted at Camp Half-Blood, but she just felt even more estranged. Lost. She belonged somewhere, somewhere she didn't want to go back to. But she had to go back to the Labyrinth. Because she was Helena, the daughter of Daedalus. (Hiatus)
1. Capture the Delta

**My. First. Fanfiction. Ever. Written. I've already tried to publish this on other websites, but it never really took. And since I've reformatted it so many times, it takes a while to edit. But even though it was written years ago and is probably really bad, I love it. It's one of my longest fanfics and brings some crazy nostalgia. I can't even remember half the stuff I've written here. And it also kind of represents my growth as a writer as time and chapters pass by. I really enjoyed writing this and hope to start continuing on it again soon. I don't know what I'm going to do with this...thing. Oh well. I hope you like it as much as I do. Sidenote: I wrote each chapter in several smaller parts but joined them to make it longer here, if that information is ever relevant to anything.**

 _Chapter 1_

I raced across the border, slashing at the monsters chasing me. Don't ask me what they are because I have no idea. I can't even begin to describe them. But enough of that.

You probably don't care anyway. So, where was I? Oh, yes. The last monster turned to dust. I spun around, looking for another enemy. But there weren't any more. I turned a full three hundred-sixty degrees, but there still weren't any other monsters. Somewhere, a horn suddenly blew. I jumped and ran down the hill, ending up crouched behind the big blue building. I peered around the wrap-around porch. Kids poured out of cabins, and nature spirits appeared from the lake and woods that surrounded the summer camp. They gathered around a centaur that I knew to be the legendary Chiron. He started speaking to the campers, but I was too far away to hear the words. Nobody seemed to have noticed my arrival. At least, that's what I thought until someone behind me asked, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

I whirled around so fast I got a bit of whiplash. The middle-aged satyr backed up as my sword pressed against his throat. "The question should be, 'Who are you?'" I hissed.

He gulped. "My name is Hedge. Now, answer my question."

I smiled at him darkly and lowered my blade. "You have some spunk, Hedge." I held out my hand. "My name's Helena. I'm looking to stay here at Camp Half-Blood."

He nodded, as if satisfied by my answer. "A lot of demigods do. Do you know who your godly parent is?"

"I don't have one," I stated simply. "My grandmother is Athena."

He started. "Your grandmother?! We've never had any second-generation demigods before. Where exactly have you been? I don't think I've seen you before. You must have stayed somewhere very safe for you to still be alive and never been here. So, what happened to you, cupcake?"

I hesitated. I hadn't planned on telling anyone here what my history was. I cringed at the very thought of saying aloud the reason I was really here. But it seemed as if I was stuck. I would either have to tell Hedge now or explain to Chiron later. I decided to do neither; I would lie to both of them. I quickly came up with my false story. Then, I started to tell the first lie I had told ever since the gods punished me.

"My father was the son of Athena. He wasn't like normal demigods, though. He never found out that he was a child of a goddess until she came to him in a vision right before he met my mother. So, he was never really attacked by any major monsters during his childhood like normal half-bloods. When my mom gave birth to me, he knew that I was the granddaughter of Athena, and, when he thought I was old enough to handle it, he told me. Unfortunately, the place he told me was his deathbed. He died right after he told me, and I've been fending for myself against the creatures that come after me ever since and struggling to make my way here, where I know I'll be safe. And now I'm here."

Hedge actually wiped his eye with the back of his hand. "Wow, you've really had a hard life, huh?" He sniffled then seemed to realize that he's crying and straightened up. "So, who's your father, cupcake?"

"Um…" I paused, uncertain what I should say. "His name was Marcellus Day. He was a…uh, he was a neuroscientist. Yeah, he was a neuroscientist."

The satyr didn't seem to be listening. He kept staring at the group gathered around the centaur Chiron. I looked over there too. And gasped.

"What? What is it?" Hedge asked.

I didn't answer. My mouth was wide open. "How…how in the world…?"

"What are you talking about?" he demanded.

My eyes were as wide as quarters. I didn't understand how _he_ could be here. How could he have gotten here so fast? I had thought that I had left him behind days ago. Apparently, I was wrong.

I watched as the group started to split, going into the woods for something. Hedge was still bugging me about the reason I gasped, but I barely heard him. Suddenly, on some instinct, I sprinted off after them, leaving the bewildered satyr behind.

When I reached the edge of the forest, I hesitated. Should I really go in there? It could be a mistake; he could be just someone that looked like him. But no, I knew that had to be him. There was no mistaking the light brown mess on his head that he called hair, his intelligent green eyes, and his mischievous smile.

But still, I could be making a big mistake. I don't think snooping around a place you're trying to get into is the best plan, especially if you get caught by the person in charge of it. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure Chiron wouldn't appreciate his new recruit sneaking around his camp.

I pondered whether or not I should go. Finally, I made my decision.

* * *

Climbing trees had never been the easiest thing for me. Truly, I had never seen an actual living tree before a few weeks ago. Nevertheless, I had climbed many other things in my lifetime, so I figured it out pretty quick.

I walked among the branches of the trees, making sure each one was sturdy enough before stepping on it. I used the sound of footsteps, and occasionally voices, to guide me. Finally, I reached a creek with a person seeming to be standing guard. I watched as he wiped his nose with his arm and sniffed. Well, that wasn't disgusting or totally gross at all.

I started off again after a sneeze from him, making barely a noise. I found many other people after that, but I couldn't find the boy I saw earlier. Maybe he's on the other team, I reasoned. I had seen them split into two groups which I guessed were teams for some kind of game. Apparently, I was correct for I had spotted two team flags at different ends of the area of the forest that they were playing the game in while I was up high in a tall tree.

Suddenly, there was a rustling noise behind me. I slowly turned my head, so to not alert the thing of my presence. Unless it already knew I was here.

The sound came again. I squinted at the bushes that were the source of the mysterious and ominous swishing noise. What could it be? I continued to watch the seemingly ordinary bushes. I stared and stared and stared and…there! The slightest of movements came from within the leaves.

I waited for any other sign of change, tense as a cat stalking its prey. Hours seemed to pass by. Finally, I got what I had been waiting for. The leaves of the undergrowth stirred, this time a lot more violently. Whoever, or whatever, had been hiding in the shrubs was about to come out.

And I would be waiting for it.

* * *

I ran across the tree branches, closely pursuing my prey. It scampered quickly through the undergrowth of the forest. It was completely oblivious to the fact it was being chased. That only made it all the easier.

I continued to track my target, barely making a sound, whereas it crashed through the bushes and ferns below me. It was probably making enough noise to wake the whole forest, even though it probably wouldn't be many animals since it was only about noon.

I wondered why it would make such a ruckus. Was something else chasing it? That thought brought me to a skidding halt. I listened for a moment. The only sound other than the noises my quarry was making was of my own panting breaths.

I was about to take off again when I heard another sound. It was something that definitely didn't belong in the woods: the sound of metal clanging against metal. Abandoning my prey, I raced off in the direction of the noise.

When I arrived, I came to a screeching halt. There was a fight going on between two boys. But this wasn't a normal fistfight. Both of them had full battle armor and swords.

I watched the battle for a few moments. Then, bored, I leaped from the branch I was standing on to one that was too far away to walk to. I kept walking (and, occasionally, leaping) from branch to branch until I found _it._

 _It_ was one of the flags I had seen earlier. It was the gray one with the owl on it. Intrigued, I dropped to the ground, as silent as…well, something that's really, really quiet. A cat, maybe?

I waited, crouched on the ground, for any sign of danger. When there seemed to be none, I crept closer. I kept moving closer and closer to the flag. Finally, I was near enough to touch it. I reached my hand toward it, the shimmering fabric seeming to beckon to me, whispering my name over and over again.

My hand brushed against the cloth. Nothing happened. Before I could feel any disappointment, I heard a rustle behind me. Then, on some instinct, I quickly ripped the flag from the pole and stuffed it into my pocket. Then, I ran.

Something chased me. I was too fast for it to catch me, but it didn't give up. It followed me all the way across the creek I had seen earlier. Once I crossed the liquid boundary, though, it stopped. I waited for it to start pursuing me again, panting in exhaustion. But it didn't.

I used that moment of rest to look again at the wadded cloth in my pocket…and almost dropped it. For, I was staring at _it._

Mixed emotions bubbled up inside me as I looked once again upon the thing. I felt longing, fear, embarrassment, hope, love, hatred, joy, sorrow, and a lot of other things, some of which I couldn't even begin to comprehend.

To the common eye, it was pretty simple. Just a single shape. But to me, it was so much more than that. It represented practically my whole life.

I stared at it, everything else utterly forgotten. For this was the thing I both dreaded and hoped to see. It was, in fact, a Greek Δ _Delta._ It was the mark of Daedalus. The mark of my father.


	2. Marcus Teeming

**Back with Chapter 2! This kind of introduces some of the whole "behind the scenes" of what these characters were doing while The Titan's Curse was going on. I'm not really sure what to say about this. This is just...my story. And I'm...publishing it. And...it's not very good. And...I'm gonna go now. There's not much more to say.**

Before that day, I had never heard of anyone named Annabeth. I hadn't even known that it was a name. Ever since then, though, that name has been permanently imprinted in my brain.

The first time I heard the name, it was uttered from the mouths of dozens of campers surrounding me. They muttered it over and over again until it started sounding like a chant. I had no idea what they were talking about. Was it supposed to be a name, or was it some kind of title for someone like me? And, if it was the latter, what would that be exactly? Was it about me being a grandchild of a goddess, or could it possibly be about my father? I had no clue whatsoever.

Just as I was about to tell them I was not an "Annabeth," whatever that was, I heard the pounding of a horse's hooves. Within seconds, Chiron towered over me. The scariest part of him, I realized, is that his face remained completely expressionless, even as he examined me thoroughly. I couldn't tell if he was surprised, angry, happy, sad, afraid, or anything else. If he was furious, I would have understood; if he was confused, I would have understood; if he was scared, I wouldn't have understood exactly, but it would have been less frightening than this.

Finally, I saw his first emotion emerge. There was a flicker of doubt in his eyes as he fully took me in. _Doubt?_ I wondered. Why was there doubt, of all things, in his eyes? Before I could even confirm what I saw, he regained his composure. "What is your name, child?"

"My name's Helena," I said without hesitation.

"And do you know who your parent is?" My mind suddenly flashed to the flag stuffed back into my pocket at the word "parent."

"My father is… well _was_ , Marcellus Day, and my mother was Lexis Day."

"So…who was your _godly_ parent?"

"I don't have one," I stated simply.

"What?" His mask of calmness slipped for a second, and he looked panicked. "How did a mortal get past the boundaries?" he asked more to himself than anyone else.

"I'm not a mortal," I said patiently.

"Then, what are you?"

"My grandmother was Athena, so I guess you could call me a second-generation demigod."

Without warning, his horse half reared up on its hind legs. I felt a sharp pain as his hoof made contact with my forehead. Then, there was nothing.

* * *

When I woke, _he_ was sitting by my bedside. Before I had time to react, he pressed his finger to my lips. "Shhh. Don't speak," he commanded. "You're too weak." No, I wasn't, and I could tell he knew that. But I didn't say anything.

I glanced around the room I was in. It seemed like some kind of infirmary. That wasn't a good sign. What had happened again? Oh, yeah. It all came back to me.

I tried to sit up, but _he_ pushed me back down. "Not yet. You need to rest." I wanted to argue that I had been "resting" while I was unconscious, but I held my tongue. I had learned long ago not to talk back to him.

Just then, Chiron burst through the doors. "Ah, so she's awake." He trotted over. "So, Helena, tell me more about you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, where were you born?"

"Colorado."

"Do you know where in Colorado?"

"Colorado Springs, the Garden of the Gods."

"Hmmm…" He stroked his curly beard. "Interesting. So, your father was Marcellus Day, and your mother was Lexis Day. Is that correct?"

I nodded.

"Marcellus seems kind of an old fashioned name, doesn't it?" I shrugged. "So, what did your mother and father do for a living?"

"My father was a neuroscientist and my mother was a college professor." At least the last part was true. I don't know why I picked neuroscientist, of all things though. I could have chosen architect, artist, inventor, or a lot of other things. Then, it wouldn't have been a complete lie.

"Where did they meet?"

"In Colorado Springs." Before he could say another word, I interrupted, "Sir, why are you asking me all this?"

Just then, the doors of the infirmary exploded open, and an out-of-breath camper stumbled up to Chiron. "There're here!" he exclaimed. "Percy's back. And's he's brought some people with him."

* * *

Even if there wasn't a group of girls following him, I would have known that Percy Jackson was a celebrity. Something about him, the way he oozed confidence and had an aura of power, made him look like he was used to getting attention. And I immediately disliked him.

I knew that that was probably totally unfair; he was probably a really nice guy. But something about him just made me feel uncomfortable, like I wasn't supposed to be near him.

I shook my head to clear it of these thoughts. I was being ridiculous. I didn't even know him, for goodness's sake. I would get to know him and then judge him, I decided. But something was still warning me not to get too close to him…

The son of Poseidon was accompanied by a satyr, a boy of about ten, a girl with spiky black hair, and a group of teenage girls, all armed with a quiver of arrows and bow.

From somewhere beside me, I heard the name _Annabeth_ again. Who was this girl? She must be famous too. What was she, Percy Jackson's celebrity girlfriend?

I felt a pair of eyes on me. I turned and saw Percy staring at me with a strange expression on his face. Was it joy? Hope? He started straight towards me. Then, I saw another expression fill his features (disappointment?) and he stopped dead. He opened his mouth to say something but seemed to change his mind and turned away.

I didn't like the way he looked at me. I felt a hand on my shoulder and didn't resist as someone steered me away. Away from the strange son of the sea god, away from the girls with the bows and arrows, away from everything that was familiar to me, and into the unknown.

* * *

Marcus Teeming, son of Hermes, was about same age as me. He was at least an inch taller than me, though, and that annoyed me. Every chance he got, he bragged about his height or used it in some way that irritated me. Sometimes, I don't know why we were best friends. But then I remember his impish smile and his sparkling green eyes, and I remember.

We had met in the lair of a drakon, of all places. We battled it together and eventually killed it. Then, we got to know each other better, became friends, and reluctantly went our separate ways. I still don't understand how he could have ended up in the same place as I did for the second time. Maybe he was stalking me.

All of this info flashed through my mind as he helped me to the blue house I had seen before. He sat me down on one of the chairs on the porch. "Are you okay?" he asked.

I nodded. Before I could stop myself, I asked, "What was that all about?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the way that Percy Jackson was staring at me, the expressions that flashed across his face. What was that?"

Mark glanced around to check if anyone was around. "Well, I'm not 100% sure, but…"

"Marcus, tell me what's going on."

He took a deep breath. "Well, the truth is you look like Percy's friend Annabeth. I mean, you resemble her so much that it's creepy. I'm not exactly sure why she wasn't with him, but we'll find out soon enough. My guess is that she was captured or something."

I let that sink in. "So, you're saying that I look exactly like this girl that he likes whom he somehow lost?"

"I never said he liked her." But by the expression on his face, it was obvious that he, and probably everyone else, knows that that's not true. "But the rest of it's pretty much true."

We didn't talk anymore. I fell asleep in the chair, and when I woke, he was gone. Everything seemed to be back to normal. How wrong I was.

* * *

It all began with yet another game of capture-the-flag. It was the girls with the bows and arrows, which I learned were actually the Hunters of Artemis, against the campers. It all seemed normal enough. Until Percy Jackson and the girl with the spiky hair started fighting and the creepy old lady waltzed right into the midst of the battle.

She looked like a cross between a hippie and a mummy, two things that should _not_ go together. When she spoke, green mist came gushing out of her mouth. By the time she was done talking, I figured that she was reciting some creepy poem. But it turns out she was delivering a prophecy.

I had no idea what she meant, but some of the people seemed to. They started saying stuff about Artemis and Annabeth and some person named Luke. Before it could get totally out of control, Chiron told them to get back to their regular schedules and that they would be fully informed about this later. Then, he took a couple of people with him to the Big House.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Mark standing behind me. He looked as confused as I was. "What in the world was that all about?" we asked at the same time. We grinned at each other; this is the kind of thing best friends are supposed to do, not battle mythical monsters together.

"And more importantly, what are we going to do about it?" he said.

"I guess we just do what Chiron asked and wait."

"Are you really going to do that?"

I couldn't help but grin again. "No."

"Oh no," he groaned. "You have that mischievous glint in your eyes that means you're going to do something extremely dangerous and/or against the rules."

"Well, of course I am. C'mon." I took his arm and dragged him away.

* * *

I was glad Chiron left the window open. We could hear every word they said now.

They talked about a prophecy, a quest, and the number five. I didn't understand much of it, but I knew enough. I knew that Zoë Nightshade, one of the Hunters, Bianca di Angelo, another Hunter, Grover Underwood, a satyr, Thalia Grace, a camper here, and another Hunter with a name I could never remember, were going on a quest to save Artemis. I knew that the Hunters definitely did not like boys. I knew that Percy Jackson was going to find a way to get on this quest from all I had learned about him in my time at camp. I also knew that the meeting was over and that we needed to hide _right now._

Mark and I scrambled behind the corner of the building. The sound of footsteps faded. I was about to peek around again when Mark suddenly pulled me back. He put a finger to his lips and mouthed the word _Listen._

Two voices, one female and one male, were whispering to each other in quick, hushed tones. Suddenly, I realized that they were the di Angelo siblings, the ones that had arrived at camp with Percy, Grover, and the Hunters. What were they up to?

"Nico, you have to understand. I have to go on this quest," the female voice, Bianca, starts.

"But you can't go!" the other voice, Nico, wails.

"I'm sorry; I really am. But I have no choice."

"Yes, you do. You could tell them that you can't go or fake an injury or…or something. Please, don't go." I could hear the genuine hurt in his young voice. A wave of sympathy instantly surged through me. He sounded so much like…

No! Don't think about that. Focus. I turned my attention back to the conversation but still couldn't get the thought totally out of my head.

"I'm sorry," Bianca was saying. Then, I heard the crunching of snow and knew she was walking. Straight toward us!

We couldn't back up fast enough. We were already on the other side of the building by the time Bianca passed by the spot we had been standing only seconds before, but it still felt like a close call.

I breathed a sigh of relief and turned around the next corner. And bumped right into Nico di Angelo.

Nico, Mark, who had been behind me, and I were knocked to the ground. Nico had his hand up to his forehead. I wasn't much better; that collision had been pretty hard.

"What the…" His voice trailed off as he saw me. "You're that girl who fell off that cliff! How did you get back? I bet Percy's going to be excited. I'm going to go tell him." He hopped to his feet.

"Wait. You must be thinking of someone else. My name's Helena and I have definitely not fallen off any cliffs."

"Oh." He looked disappointed. "Then, who are you?"

So, that's how I ended up telling a ten-year-old boy my false story instead of doing archery with the rest of the Athena cabin (which was just me since I was the only one in the Athena cabin). Mark added in some things (mostly about him) occasionally but mainly let me do the telling. At one point, though, I caught a glimpse of his face, full of confusion. "Tell you later," I told him with my eyes.

Finally, I was done. There was silence, broken only by the noises of the other campers around us and the sound of our mingled breathing.

I half expected Nico to just shrug and walk away, probably forgetting it by the next day. The other half thought he might figure out that I'm lying and maybe even tell Chiron. That thought made my heart race. Nobody, absolutely nobody, could know the truth about me. Not yet, anyway. If they did, they probably wouldn't let me stay at this camp.

I waited, both hopeful and anxious. The tension-filled silence lasted for a couple of seconds more. Finally, Nico broke it. And he said neither the former nor the latter. He said something totally and utterly unexpected.

"I know you!"

"You do?" both Mark and I asked at the same time. But this time, we didn't grin or laugh.

"Well, of course. You're Marcus Teeming, the only known person to trick Dionysus and get away with it. I've heard all about you." Nico himself seemed to be teeming with excitement. I, however, released the breath I was holding in relief. So, he didn't know anything.

"Yeah, that's me." Mark glanced at me, clearly as caught off guard as I was. But that confusion quickly turned to pride as he walked off with Nico, talking about his apparently famous prank.

I watched them go then turned and trudged off toward the archery range. Halfway there, though, I halted. An idea had popped into my head.

I had sensed it all the way from Central Park. I had then followed it from there to the camp. But I still hadn't found the time to look for it. Now was the time, I knew.

Following that same instinct as before, I changed my direction and trekked in the direction of the woods. Just before stepping under the canopy of trees, I hesitated. The first time I had strode in these woods, I had found my best friend again, accidently won a game of capture-the-flag, and almost blew my cover and revealed my true identity. Not exactly a good omen. Nevertheless, I placed a foot over the invisible boundary between the camp and the woods.

Part of me thought something would attack me once I crossed the line. But nothing happened, to my relief. I quickly started walking in the direction the instinct was taking me, soon speeding up to a sprint.

The sun had nearly set by the time I finally reached my destination. It didn't seem too special to the common eye, just a big pile of rocks. But I knew what lie within it. Or, more accurately, what lie _beneath_ it. It was something of unspeakable power, something so large, it covered the whole country.

"The Labyrinth," I breathed. "It's an entrance to the Labyrinth."


	3. More Than Just Friends

**I honestly don't know where to start. First of all, I remember hating Spellcheck after this chapter. Second, I can't remember if I wrote this before or after I had read about Gaea in the series, so I don't know if Helena's "earthly" aura has anything to do with that; not quite sure what I was thinking while writing this. Third, ugh. I love this story because it was one of my first. But I hate it because that's not how I would write it now. There's so many things I want to change, but I want to keep the original story. You can pretty much tell it was written by a younger kid. Fourth, there's some more of the book's plot told from another perspective. Yay. Fifth, I repeat, I honestly have no idea what was going on in my younger self's brain while I was planning and writing all of this. I just...I can't even.**

Suddenly, there was a rustle of leaves from behind me. I spun around, drawing my sword in the same fluid motion. "Whoa there." Nico was standing in front of me, his hands up near his face. "Hey, is that real?" He tentatively reached out his hand to touch the blade. Call me harsh, but I thrust the blade toward him 'til it was only inches from his face.

"You bet it's real. Real enough to cut you to smithereens."

He just grinned in reply, as if I hadn't just threatened to chop him up into a million pieces. He has obviously not got a lot of death threats in his short life. "What's a Labyrinth? And why does it need an entrance?"

I sheathed my blade. "A labyrinth is another word for maze. But the Labyrinth with a capital L is a gigantic underground maze that stretches all the way across the US. And I have just found an entrance to it."

He craned his neck, searching for something. "Where?"

I pointed to the place where I found the doorway to the Labyrinth. "There. Somewhere in that big pile of rocks."

The boy looked confused. "But wouldn't it be caved in? I mean, a giant hole in the ground wouldn't last very long if someone put a huge pile of rocks on it."

Suddenly, I understood his confusion. "The door isn't a giant hole in the ground."

"Well, what is it then?"

"It's probably like a regular old doorway. Just hidden somewhere. Here, let me show you." I stepped toward the mound of boulders. Then, I started to circle it slowly, looking for a big enough crack. Finally, I found it.

It was just big enough for me to squeeze through. I stepped into it…and onto emptiness.

I tumbled through the air for about two seconds. Then, the ground came up to meet me. Hard.

A sudden pain in my left arm exploded. I groaned as the pain started spreading throughout my body. Just then, a mass hit me from above, adding more to the pain.

The mass scrambled off my stomach. "I'm so sorry, Helena." Nico. He must have followed me through the entrance. "I didn't mean to fall on you. I didn't know where you went; you just disappeared in the rock. Then, I tried to find you, and I fell into the hole in the ground." He tone showed a hint of smugness as he said, "See. I told you it was a hole in the ground."

I didn't answer, just sat up. We were in total darkness. No light showed from any direction, not even from above, where the hole was supposed to be. But, for some reason, I didn't feel scared. I felt almost…safer.

"So, this is the Labyrinth, huh? It's darker than I thought," Nico said as he helped me to my feet. "How do we get out?" His voice was unusually calm, like he couldn't care less about the darkness, the underground, and the fact we were trapped here, at least for now.

"Um… Well, first I think we need some light." All of sudden, a bright light flared before us.

"Cool! How'd you do that?" The light illuminated his curious, eager face.

"Uh, well…" I couldn't think of a very good excuse for that, so I decided it was time to come clean. "I…I'm not really who you think I am. My dad wasn't really Marcellus Day, the neuroscientist. He's really Daedalus, the famous Greek inventor."

Was it just my imagination, or did the light burn a bit brighter as I said my father's name? Before Nico could react to my stunning revolution, something barreled it's way between us, knocking us both to the ground and extinguishing the light.

"Light," I commanded once I had gotten up again. I looked around, but Nico wasn't anywhere. "Nico?" I called out. No reply. "Nico?"

"Help!" came the reply. "Help!" I raced down the tunnel in the direction of Nico's voice. I turned one last corner, sword drawn, and came across a dead end. The walls had changed from earth to stone and back to earth while I was running, but I pretty much forgot the fact considering the scene before me.

Nico was backed up against the far wall, his assailant standing before him. The hellhound was about standard size for its kind. But it was doing something that was definitely _not_ normal.

It started licking Nico, its tongue rolling up and down the boy's whole body. Soon, he was covered entirely in hellhound dribble. "Yuck." He made a face. "What is this stuff? Hellhound saliva or dehydrated slug slime?"

I laughed, both at his words and at his predicament. "Why's it doing that? I thought those things were meant to attack and kill."

"Apparently not this one," he stated while shaking spittle off his arms.

Suddenly, an idea struck me. "Do you think it could possibly be _you_ that's making it do this?"

"No. And even if it was, it probably hasn't seen a person in days, maybe even weeks. It's probably just lonely."

I wanted to argue that it had picked _him_ instead of me, so that had to mean something. But I kept my mouth shut. Nico had made it clear that the subject was closed.

Without warning, the dog woofed and turned around, as if called by something. It scampered off into the darkness.

After that, we found our way back up to the surface. It was already nighttime. As curious as Nico was, I expected him to bombard me with questions. But he didn't, for some reason. We walked back to the cabins in silence.

Just before we reached the semicircle of cabins, though, he did ask me one question. "Is there something going on between you and that Marcus?"

"No," I replied way too quickly. "Why?" I asked, trying to cover up my slip.

"Just asking. Good night." He walked toward the Hermes cabin.

"Good night," I called just as he reached the front door. He turned and smiled, but there was a strange look on his face.

I spun around and headed back to the Athena cabin. Tomorrow, I would figure out what the odd look meant and why I had replied much faster than necessary to his question. But right now, I needed to sleep.

* * *

Ever since my punishment from the gods, my dreams had been getting worse and worse. But that night's took the prize.

It was less like a dream and more like a memory. Well, two memories actually. One was mine; the other…well, you'll find out soon enough.

I was back in the Labyrinth, though in a whole different section of it. There was a door before me with a Greek _Delta_ Δ on it. I pressed my fingers against it, and it lit up. The door swung open on silent hinges. Inside was a workshop. But not just any workshop. It was Daedalus's workshop, the home of my father and me.

There were dozens of types of tools, some laptops, easels, diagrams, jars of Greek fire, workbenches, several pairs of life-size wings, and of course, tons of inventions. A spiral staircase wound up to a second story. But what really caught my attention was the person standing in the middle of the room.

He looked to be in his mid-fifties, but I knew that he was really in his mid-two thousands. He looked pretty fit for someone his age, with graying hair and beard, a sword at his side, and an athletic figure. He was my father, Daedalus.

You'd think I would be proud to call the world's greatest inventor my father, right? Wrong. Though I loved my father more than anything, some of the things I heard that he had done made me think otherwise, sometimes even scared me a little. For example, he had let his own nephew fall out of a window into the sea, he had fled to his Labyrinth to escape death, and he had used the same nephew's ideas to trap his soul, his _animus,_ in an automaton so that he could live longer. Five times.

But enough of this blathering. Back to the dream.

So, I raced into my father's arms and squeezed him tight. "Whoa there. That's a little too much, Helena. You're suffocating me." I let go and looked up at him. "What's wrong? You look like something's bothering you."

I didn't say anything. He kneeled down next to me, trying to look into my averted eyes. "Is there something wrong? Helena, tell me," he told me solidly but kindly.

"Father, it's just…I've done something horrible. And…and I may not see you again anytime soon."

Before he could reply, a clap of thunder rang over our heads. "Helena, daughter of Daedalus and granddaughter of Athena," a booming voice said, "you have committed an unforgivable crime and are hereby banned from seeing your father ever again."

Suddenly, a glittering light shimmered around me, and I started to lift off the ground. "Helena!" my father shouted. "Helena, I'll find you. I swear it!" Then, I disappeared in a flash of golden light.

* * *

The dream changed. I was suddenly in a different place.

I was back at camp; it was late in the night, almost dawn. I heard footsteps crunching on snow and turned to see Percy Jackson walking alongside me. Or was I walking alongside him?

We climbed up the steps to the pavilion together. What was he doing up so late? I searched his face for an answer; he was staring at something intently. Then, I saw what he was looking at.

Nico di Angelo was peering at something from behind a column. The Hunters, I realized. He was spying on the Hunters. And I knew that there was one in particular that he would be watching.

Two of the Hunters, Bianca and Zoë Nightshade, were talking. Next to me, Percy put on a blue cap, and I suddenly couldn't see him. "A cap of invisibility," I mouthed in awe. I'd never seen one before. Pun not intended.

I didn't hear all of their words. Just enough to understand what was going on. Apparently, the other Hunter who was supposed to be going on the quest, the one whom I could never remember the name to, had been injured and couldn't go on the quest. I glanced over at Percy to see his reaction, then remembered that he was invisible.

Suddenly, the conversation stopped, and the two girls started down the stairs. Nico scooted out of the way just in time. I didn't think anything would happen to me since this was a dream, but I was wrong.

Zoë's hand brushed against mine, and she stopped, glaring at the spot next to me. Only later did I discover that that was the exact place Percy Jackson was standing. Then, Bianca warned her about the lights in the Big House being on, and they scrammed.

Nico seemed about to go after them when Percy took off his cap and became visible again. They struck up a conversation about invisibility and quests. I only half-listened; I had other things on my mind. But it got my full attention when Percy promised that he would go on the quest to look after Nico's sister. Though, I knew there was another reason he was going.

All of a sudden, Percy ran straight through me, and I dissipated into a million tiny pieces of mists.

* * *

I woke with a start. The only sound in the Athena cabin was of my own labored breathing. I sat up straight and looked around, trying to calm my racing heart. To my surprise, one of the computers was on its screensaver. I glanced out the window just to be sure. The sun was just peaking over the horizon. Why would someone be in my cabin this early using a computer? Why would someone be in my cabin at all? There was no one here except me usually. Who would want to be here in the middle of the night?

There was a sudden knock at the door. Now, who would want to be at my door at six a.m. in the morning? "Just a second," I called. I quickly threw my orange camp T-shirt and some jeans on and opened the door. "Percy?"

The son of Poseidon's eyes lit up a bit as he saw me. "Uh…" He seemed at a loss of words. "I…um."

I felt exasperated for some reason. "Look, Percy, I know I look like that girl you like, Annabeth, but I'm not her." He blushed at that and started to protest, but I stopped him with a wave of my hand. "So, whatever you're going to say, say it without stuttering or bumbling or any of that garbage."

He seemed again at a loss of words, so I started over. "What is it, Percy?"

"I, uh…" He cleared his throat. "I wanted to know if there was anything of Annabeth's here. And if there was, if I could, perhaps, borrow it."

He still looked extremely uncomfortable. So, I flashed him a smile and a wink. "I'll go look." I turned around and asked, "Are you coming with me? I never knew her, so I wouldn't know what to look for."

"Oh, oh yes." He stepped over the threshold, looking around in wonder. Obviously he hasn't been in the Athena cabin before.

"Well, c'mon. You don't have all day. You do, after all, have a quest to go on."

He whirled around so fast I thought he might have got a bit of whiplash. "How did you know that?"

I gave him a mischievous smile. "I had a dream last night."

He still looked suspicious but didn't say anything else. After searching the whole cabin, he announced, "There's nothing here. Sorry to disturb you."

I gave him another smile and wink. "No problem."

He walked out the door. I closed the door behind him, then collapsed against it, feeling exhausted. Feeling almost as if every word I had just said was a lie. Feeling as if every second I had spent with Perseus Jackson had drained me of my energy. Feeling as if I had just consorted with the enemy.

* * *

"Where're you going?" Nico asked as he and Mark walked up to me.

"Nowhere." I glanced at Mark. "So, you two are officially best friends now?" I asked him.

"No. I mean, we're really good friends, but you and I are still best friends."

I smiled at him, but as I turned, I could see Nico's knowing smile. "What?"

"Oh, nothing."

I stopped. "Spill it, di Angelo."

He grinned at my commanding tone. "It's just…I was thinking of how you two _aren't_ best friends."

"But I just said–" Mark protested.

"I meant," the boy interrupted, "that you two are more than just best friends."

I saw Mark's face go red; I probably wasn't much better. "We're not–" we started in unison.

Nico smiled at us. "Never mind. So, where are you going?"

"Uh…" I was still in shock by Nico's statement. "You know, _the place._ " I was talking about the doorway to the Labyrinth of course. Nico nodded like he knew what I was talking about.

"What place?" Mark questioned. "Do you two have some sort of secret hiding place you're not telling me about?"

"Well…kinda."

"Why? Are you jealous?" Nico asked.

"Why would you think that?" he said, suddenly defensive.

"Enough guys. Stop fighting. Okay, yes, we do have a special place that no one else knows about, at least I hope not. But it's not what you think!" I said hurriedly. "I found it by accident, and he had followed me there. But nothing happened." The first part was a lie, but he didn't need to know that.

Marcus still looked uncertain but just asked, "So, can I come to this secret hiding place of yours or would you two rather be alone?" The way he said it was cruel and judgmental and unfair, and it pained me to not be able to tell my best friend something, but I couldn't tell him about the Labyrinth without revealing my true identity.

"I'm sorry, but no." He looked disappointed and hurt, so I whispered in his ear, "If it makes you feel any better, I hadn't even intended for Nico to find it."

Apparently, it did because he brightened slightly. Of course, that's when the Furies decided to attack.

They converged on us unexpectedly, so I didn't even have time to draw my sword before we were lifted up into the air. I tried to kick and thrash, but each time I did, the Fury holding me pinched its talons even harder around my arms. They continued to lift us higher and higher until the Big House looked like a tiny blue dot in a field of green.

"Where are you taking us?" I shouted above the wind.

"That isssss none of your concern," the Fury hissed.

"Yes, it is. Since you have had us kidnapped, I believe it is of my concern."

"Mm…Thissss one hassss a mouth on her, doesssssn't ssssshe?" asked another Fury with a mocking tone.

Nico and Mark smirked like they were saying, "You just now figured that out?" I glared at them, but they didn't seem to notice.

"I sssssmell Earth on her. Who are you, girl of the Earth and underground?" the third Fury said.

"My name is Helena, and I ask you to _put me down._ "

"I am afraid we cannot do that, Helena of the underground," the Fury holding me said.

"Stop calling me that! I have nothing to do with the underground."

"My ssssenssssessss tell me otherwissssse."

"Well, then your senses are wrong."

"Many ssssay that infuriating a Fury issss not wisssse. They ssssay that it ussssually endsssss in dire consssssequencessss."

That put a stop to our conversation. Manhattan flew by below us. "At least tell me where we're going," I finally requested.

The Fury holding me made a strange sound that could have been a sigh. "Fine. I think we owe you that much, daughter of the Earth." My eyes narrowed at that, but it continued before I could protest. "We are going to a very sssssspecial place. It isssss one that you will feel very much at home with."

I gritted my teeth in exasperation. "Would you stop it with the riddles? Just tell me where we're going."

The Fury smiled. Well, as much as a Fury could smile. "Ssssince you sssseeem sssso eager to know, I guessss I musssst tell you." The Fury's almost-smile grew wider. "We are going to the realm of Lord Hadesssss, the Underworld."

* * *

Why would we be taken to the Underworld? It made no sense. Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind that made my blood chill. Was Hades going to try to get me to tell him about my father? My dad had cheated him multiple times, and I'm guessing that that wouldn't get him on Hades's good list.

I decided that I wouldn't tell him anything, if that was the case. I would not betray my father like that. No matter what the Lord of the Underworld put me through, I wouldn't tell him a single thing about my father.

We were rapidly descending now, heading straight toward a giant pile of rocks in Central Park. Once we were a few feet off the ground, the Furies dropped us. Then, they flapped over to the mound and settled down on top of it. "Musssssic. We need musssssic," they said at the same time. Creepy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked; they didn't reply. I sighed. My guess was that we needed music to open the doorway in the rocks, like Orpheus did.

As if reading my thoughts, the Furies said in unison, "There are only two doorsssss to the Underworld. Thisssss entrance issss called the Doorway of Orpheusssss."

The three of us looked at each other. "So, who's going to sing? I can't; my voice would only cause an avalanche," Nico said.

Mark shook his head. I guess it would be me. I opened my mouth and sang.

I had never sung before an audience before. Even my father had never heard me sing. I would hum occasionally while I wandered through the depths of the Labyrinth, which I would often do back then. But never while someone else was around.

I sang a simple tune I had heard from a wandering human one day. It had been pretty simple to learn, and I had thought that the lady singing it had a beautiful voice, so I stored it in my memory. I never thought it would come to use.

When I was done, I felt five pairs of eyes looking straight at me. The Furies faces were expressionless, like they usually were. But Mark and Nico were staring, mouths agape. "What?"

"It's just…your voice…that was…amazing!" Mark exclaimed. "I never knew you could sing like that."

My face burned. Since no one had ever heard me sing before, no one had told me how good or bad my voice was. I had always thought that it was fair, nothing like that lady's voice. But apparently, I was wrong.

Before I could reply, there was a rumbling noise as the stones broke apart and revealed a passageway. Using my underground senses, I confirmed that the tunnel went down deep into the depths of the Earth, probably all the way to the Underworld.

"Well, go on then. Move!" one of the Furies barked at us. We did as we were told like good little captives. Inside the hole, there was a ladder bolted to the side of the ground. Nico went first, then me, Mark, and the Furies. Then, the boulders moved back into place, and the Earth swallowed us whole.

* * *

As soon as the Earth covered us, my senses seemed to come alive. Even as I climbed down into the bowels of the Earth, I could feel the rust on the metal ladder beneath my fingers; could smell the pleasant earthy aroma; could taste little bits of dirt that had gotten between my lips; could see everything, even in the complete darkness; could sense the creatures within the dirt and soil surrounding me. I felt better than I had in weeks. Except, perhaps, the time we had entered the Labyrinth the other day. That day, the prospect of being underground actually healed my arm and the rest of my body, like the water healed Percy Jackson.

I could see that Mark was looking a bit pale and panicky; he must not like being underground. The Furies probably still had no expression, and I couldn't see Nico's face, but I couldn't feel any more than the usual excitement from him.

We continued to descend farther and farther into the ground. Suddenly, I halted. Mark bumped into me. "Why'd you stop?" he asked, his voice shaky.

I remained still as a statue. I had felt a very powerful surge of energy from all around me. That could only mean one thing: we were level with the Labyrinth.

I wanted to start digging around me, hoping to find the place where I could enter the Labyrinth, but one of the Furies hissed, "Well, get a move on will you?" And I had to keep going.

It felt like forever before Nico finally exclaimed, "I see a light!"

"You do?" Mark and I asked together.

"Yeah. It's not too bright, but it's there."

"That meanssss we are nearing the Underworld," another Fury said. That didn't make me feel any better.

We made it down the rest of the stairs. But as soon as my feet touched the ground, I collapsed. Luckily, Mark wasn't far behind me or I would have fallen flat on my face. "Whoa there. Are you okay?" His voice sounded distant.

All of my energy had suddenly been drained. I felt weak, powerless. Was it just my imagination or was I getting paler?

"What's happening?" Mark sounded alarmed.

"She's dying," Nico murmured, as if in a trance. "She shouldn't even be alive. Her existence does not go alongside the Fates' plan."

The Furies hissed in unison as Marcus asked, "What in the world is that supposed to mean?"

I struggled to stay awake. "There's something I've been keeping from you, Mark," I rasped. "My father is Daedalus, the Ancient Greek inventor."

Mark opened his mouth to speak, but it seemed as if he couldn't form the words. When he finally found his voice, he didn't talk about my dad. Instead he inquired, "What's happening to her?"

"Like I said, she's dying. Her body is fading away. It will continue until she's nothing more than another spirit in the Underworld," Nico informed him.

"But why?"

With the last of my strength, I answered his question. "My father, Daedalus, was supposed to have died two thousand years ago. He shouldn't exist now, therefore, neither should I."

"But that's not fair!" Mark exclaimed with so much intensity, even I was surprised. "Just because your father should be dead, that doesn't mean you should be too. Okay, I'll admit that it does make logical sense, but it doesn't mean it's any fairer. Or easier to bear," he added in a lower tone.

"The Fates can be cruel," I whispered. Then, everything went black. As black as the River Styx.


End file.
